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“I-Thou” in Couple and Family Therapy

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Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy

Name of Concept

I-Thou in Couple and Family Therapy

Synonyms

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Introduction

The I-Thou relationship was introduced by Martin Buber, a philosophical anthropologist, in his book Ich and Du (translated as I and Thou) which was published in 1923. According to Buber, human beings experience two types of relationships: I-It and I-Thou. In an I-It relationship, a person views the other as an object to fulfill his or her needs. On the other hand, an I-Thou relationship involves a person who acknowledges the “whole” in the other person and views his or her partnership as relational rather than experiential. I-Thou is the ideal mode for individuals to feel connected in relationships. Buber explained that this act of understanding the other person’s wholeness as in I-Thou is accomplished by using a dialogical approach in which relation is found “between” each individual in the relationship. Engaging in I-Thou mode means that each person is a participant in the relationship, rather than one...

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References

  • Buber, M. (1958). I and thou (trans: Smith, R. G.). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. (Original work published 1923).

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  • Fishbane, M. D. (1998). I, thou, and we: A dialogical approach to couples therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 24(1), 41–58.

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  • Sartre, J. P. (1992). Being and nothingness: The principal text of modern existentialism. (trans: Barnes, H.). New York: Washington Square Press. (Original work published 1943).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Brittany Salerno

Authors
  1. Brittany Salerno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brittany Salerno .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Jay Lebow

  2. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Anthony Chambers

  3. The Family Institute at Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Douglas C. Breunlin

Section Editor information

  1. California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Molly Gasbarrini Ph.D.

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Salerno, B. (2017). “I-Thou” in Couple and Family Therapy. In: Lebow, J., Chambers, A., Breunlin, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_359-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_359-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15877-8

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